Howard E. DeStefanis Obituary

Howard E. "Dusty" DeStefanis, of Cordova, passed away on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 of heart failure. He was born to Alphonso and Mary Mascari DeStefanis on June 2, 1933 in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Little Flower Catholic School and Christian Brothers High School where he was a standout on the football field. He retired from the Shelby County Sheriff's Department after 25 years of service. In the early years of his retirement he worked as a security guard for Wright Jewelers. For many years he maintained a booth at Bo Jo's Antique Mall and later the Antique Mall in Bartlett. A favorite pastime was spending hours at yard sales and estate sales searching for items to fill his booth. He was especially partial to anything pertaining to the old West, the Civil War or Native Americans. He was preceded in death by his older brother Richard DeStefanis and sister Theresa Campbell. His family was the most important part of his life. He is survived by Paula, his loving and devoted wife of 59 years, two daughters, Paula Smith and Pattye DeStefanis, three grandchildren, Shawn, Brandon and Dustin, and three great-grandchildren. Left behind to mourn him are also numerous other relatives and many friends who will miss his big smile, his wonderful sense of humor, and his gift of making any gathering into a party simply by being there. His family and friends will always love him and will forever be thankful for his presence in their lives. A Celebration of Life service will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at High Point Funeral Home & Crematorium, 3788 Summer Avenue in Memphis. The family requests that any memorial gifts be sent to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for masses in honor of Mr. DeStefanis
Read Howard DeStefanis's Obituary and Guestbook on highpointchapel.com.